Everyone knows that regular exercise and weight training lead to physical strength. But how do we strengthen ourselves mentally for the truly tough times? And what should we do when we face these challenges? Or as psychotherapist Amy Morin asks, what should we avoid when we encounter adversity? Through her years counseling others and her own experiences navigating personal loss, Morin realized it is often the habits we cannot break that are holding us back from true success and happiness. Indulging in self-pity, agonizing over things beyond our control, obsessing over past events, resenting the achievements of others, or expecting immediate positive results holds us back. This list of things mentally strong people don't do resonated so much with readers that when it was picked up by Forbes.com it received ten million views.

Now, for the first time, Morin expands upon the thirteen things from her viral post and shares her tried-and-true practices for increasing mental strength. Morin writes with searing honesty, incorporating anecdotes from her work as a college psychology instructor and psychotherapist as well as personal stories about how she bolstered her own mental strength when tragedy threatened to consume her.

Increasing your mental strength can change your entire attitude. It takes practice and hard work, but with Morin's specific tips, exercises, and troubleshooting advice, it is possible to not only fortify your mental muscle but also drastically improve the quality of your life.

I enjoyed this self-help book so much that I had to go out and purchase it! I want to be able to go back and read it again and again to remind myself how to work at getting and staying mentally strong. Each of the 13 things make good sense and can be done by all.

MedinaReads
Jun 01, 2015

"Amy Morin's book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do is about developing mental strength. The type of mental strength that means knowing you'll be okay no matter what happens in your life. It teaches you not only to deal with the realities of life, but also how to live according to your values no matter what life throws your way. Her book focuses on how mentally strong people avoid negative behaviors.

This book explains how to choose behavior based on balanced emotions and rational thinking. It analyses 13 self-defeating mental weaknesses. Each chapter offers a quick quiz to see if you possess this particular problem. The style and formatting of the book is easy on psychological terms and organized in a practical style making light reading of a serious subject matter. It uses real life examples, bullet points, and famous quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The chapters are then summarized with ‘What's Helpful' and ‘What's Not Helpful' when avoiding destructive thoughts and emotions. They say that your perception is your reality. If you learn to stop dwelling on the past, take more calculated risks, embrace change and never give up, you can create a reality that is your true potential.

This is an inspiring book that teaches you that mental strength is not about being tough, it's about feeling empowered to overcome life's obstacles.

I recommend this book to anyone who believes they deserve true success and happiness. Whether you're a stay at home mom or work in large company, Amy Morin gives you the secret of how to be your best self and reach what you are capable of achieving." Recommended by A.B., Highland Library, MCDL